Advice needed on how to operate radiators (home heat type)

[cthulhu]

Hi,

I live in a rental which has traditional radiators, water heated with gas and then up to the apt.

I'm wondering if there are things i need to do to make them operate correctly as its the beginning of the heating season and i believe that some of mine are working ok and some may not be kicking on - based on their wildly varying temperatures when i put my hand on them.  Do i need to bleed them or do anything else to get them going correctly?  Do i need to call the landlord to do some sort of annual service?  Any thoughts/expertise MUCH appreciated, thanks,

Al

[sibamor]

What is the age of the home? Are they baseboard heaters or more of the vintage upright heaters?

If you have the older upright radiator type then it can simple be trapped air in the system.  It is a simple job to bleed the system, you can do it yourself. Do you hear air leaking from the air vent regulator it can be gunked up and need replacing (hence its not bleeding the air properly).

Baseboard type being horizontal it can be that the cold spot is further along the run of the system and the fluid has cooled, or their could be a blockage (calcium/metals build up) that is impeding flow.

Since you are renting I recommend notifying the landlord and he can access/remedy the problem, he has a vested interest in addressing small problems before they become big problems (especially if utilities are included in the rent).  Usually there is no annual services you need to perform on these systems.  When the system needs to engage in the late fall months I like to throttle the temperature gauge up and down a few times over a few days to make sure its working.  The thermostat is the most common point of failure and the system can get stuck in a high throttle position.

[cthulhu]

they're the traditional stand up metal type and yes i can hear some air coming out of them, so i know they are trying to do something, the question is what :)

I will try to look up about bleeding radiators - i'd rather not call the landlord if i can avoid it - faster if i can resolve myself and i'll learn something along the way (plus i don't have someone wandering about my entire apt when i'm not home - assuming they would come during business hours).

If anyone has radiator bleeding tips - please chime in!

Al

[Norman Johnson]

Because it is a rental, I would phone the landlord. It's their equipment, not yours to fool around with unless you have some sort of agreement. I would ask to follow him or the plumber he hires around though. :)

[Bakari]

not an answer to your question, but...
put a fan behind (or near, if it won't fit behind) the radiator, facing toward it, and past it out into the room.
It will help more heat exchange from it into the air faster, making it more efficient and making the room warm up faster.
Same thing for wood stoves, or any other heat appliance that doesn't have its own built in fan

[sibamor]

If the air hissing/whistle is regular then I am 99% confident the air regulator needs replacement.  Its gunked up and stuck in the open position.  You are loosing some of your steam with it.

If you decide to do it yourself their is a nice video on This Old House Website. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1638785,00.html

Again I recommend calling the landlord.